With Barcelona set to begin the defence of their LaLiga title in less than a month, Hansi Flick could be forced into an early reshuffle following Frenkie de Jong’s latest injury setback.

The Catalan giants are expected to line up differently from the side that finished last season, with changes both in the transfer market and within the current squad likely to shape Flick’s plans.

Frenkie de Jong blow creates midfield dilemma

Barcelona have already strengthened their attacking options, bringing in Anthony Gordon and Karim Adeyemi to increase competition in the final third, while Julian Alvarez remains the club’s preferred long-term successor to Robert Lewandowski. However, convincing Atletico Madrid to part with the Argentine forward is expected to prove a major challenge.

While transfer business continues to dominate the headlines, the biggest issue facing Flick is the absence of De Jong, who returned from World Cup duty with a tear to the medial collateral ligament (MCL) in his right knee.

The Dutch midfielder endured an interrupted 2025/26 campaign, missing matches through suspension, illness, muscle and hamstring injuries, as well as periods of rest. Despite those setbacks, he finished the season strongly enough to earn a place in the Netherlands squad and featured in every match during the World Cup.

It has since emerged that De Jong played through significant discomfort during the tournament, with the injury now expected to sideline him for months rather than weeks.

Marc Bernal’s opportunity has arrived

De Jong’s absence could provide the perfect opening for Marc Bernal to establish himself as a permanent fixture in Barcelona’s midfield.

Still only 19, Bernal has already earned comparisons with club legend Sergio Busquets thanks to his composure in possession and intelligence off the ball. While such comparisons may be premature, they underline the faith many have in the midfielder’s enormous potential.

Although Bernal played his part in Barcelona’s title-winning campaign last season, opportunities were limited. He made 33 appearances across all competitions but started just 15 matches, accumulating only 1,313 minutes of football.

With Manchester City reportedly monitoring his situation amid continued speculation surrounding Rodri’s future, Barcelona know they possess one of Europe’s brightest young midfielders. There has even been speculation that Rodri himself could emerge as a target for the Catalans because of De Jong’s injury, although promoting Bernal would appear the more logical and cost-effective solution.

The numbers suggest Bernal is ready

Despite playing over 1,500 fewer minutes than De Jong last season, Bernal still managed to score five goals compared to the Dutchman’s solitary strike.

His passing statistics were equally encouraging. Bernal completed 90.56% of his passes, an impressive figure for such a young midfielder, although De Jong’s 94.19% completion rate remained among the best in the squad and highlights one area where Bernal can still improve.

Chance creation is another aspect where De Jong’s absence will undoubtedly be felt. His ability to dictate tempo and break opposition lines helped produce 51 chances for teammates during the campaign, while Bernal created just six.

Defensive qualities continue to impress

Where Bernal arguably has the edge is in his physical presence.

Although De Jong enjoyed a better success rate in ground duels, Bernal still competed in 171 of them, only 34 fewer than his senior teammate despite his significantly reduced playing time.

The teenager was even more effective aerially, contesting 45 aerial duels and winning 22, comfortably surpassing De Jong’s totals of 31 contested and 18 won.

His tackling numbers also paint an encouraging picture.

Bernal successfully completed 23 of his 34 tackles, giving him a success rate of 67.65%. By comparison, De Jong won 28 of 61 tackles, equating to a success rate of 45.9%.

Those figures suggest Bernal already possesses many of the defensive qualities required to anchor Barcelona’s midfield.

A chance to make the position his own

Throughout his managerial career, Hansi Flick has never been afraid to trust young players when he believes they are ready for first-team football.

De Jong’s injury could now hand Bernal the sustained run of games he has been waiting for, allowing him to demonstrate that he is capable of becoming Barcelona’s long-term holding midfielder rather than simply a promising academy graduate.

Much will depend on how quickly De Jong recovers. If his rehabilitation proves longer than expected, Bernal will have a genuine opportunity to cement his place in Flick’s starting XI.

And should the youngster seize that opportunity, De Jong may find that reclaiming his spot becomes far more difficult than anyone anticipated.